Salzburg in the Gold Rush: Hundreds of “Mini-Mozarts” Take Over the Mirabell Gardens
Since mid-July 2026, visitors to Salzburg’s famous Mirabell Gardens have been treated to a dazzling sight. To mark the upcoming 270th birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart this coming January, renowned German conceptual artist Ottmar Hörl has gifted the city with an extraordinary public art installation. Under the title “Mozart – The Indomitable Genius,” some 300 to 400 golden miniature sculptures of the composer populate the area around the bastion and the museum pavilion.
In the Mirabell Gardens in the city of Salzburg, 300 small golden Mozart figurines are now on display near the bastion and the museum pavilion until the end of August. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons; Pedro Krtička, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en)
The weather-resistant plastic figures, each about 50 centimeters tall, are designed to make art and culture accessible to everyone. “I didn’t want to create a traditional monument to Mozart—there are already enough of those. My goal was to show his human side—that despite his genius, he was a perfectly normal person,” explained artist Ottmar Hörl to ORF.
A special detail of the golden statuettes is the animal companion at Mozart’s side: his left hand rests gently on the head of a female dog. This is a tribute to “Pimperl” (also known as Madame Pimperl), the Mozarts’ beloved family dog. Historical letters reveal that after moving to Makartplatz, the family regularly took the dog for walks in the Mirabell Gardens.
Seamless Craftsmanship from Coburg
Visually, the figures captivate with their flawless, seamless surfaces. Each sculpture was produced in Coburg, Germany, using a highly specialized vacuum casting process. “The entire figure is pulled out under vacuum, and it’s only once it’s outside, as it cools, that this shape takes form,” says Hörl, describing the unique production process that prevents unsightly casting seams.
In addition to the Mirabell Gardens, a small “delegation” of the Mini-Mozarts has also found a home at other historic sites throughout the city—including the garden of the Mozarteum, the historic Magic Flute Cottage, and the Tanzmeistersaal in Mozart’s residence.
Souvenir Hunters and Security Measures
The fact that art in public spaces also sparks desire is nothing new to the artist. Hörl, who has previously caused a stir with similar large-scale projects such as the pink Dürer rabbits at Vienna’s Albertina, takes potential theft in stride: “That’s simply the nature of public space. As an artist, you can’t complain about it."
Nevertheless, the city of Salzburg is leaving nothing entirely to chance: For security reasons, the exhibition area in the Mirabell Gardens will be cordoned off at nightfall. Anyone wishing to take home a legal souvenir will have to be patient: After the temporary art installation ends—which will run through August 30, 2026—the figures will be available for purchase.